Genetic Inheritance
© Eddie’s Aviary – reproduce only with permission please
PROPER IDENTIFICATION & PAIRING = BEST RESULTS
When considering breeding Linnies, learning how to identify mutations properly, understanding basic genetic inheritance (Click here for Genetic Basics), and Proper Pairing Protocols should be your first step. If you bought a breeding pair that turns out to not be a good pairing, fear not…. Linnies are easy to re-pair. Click here for the post on easily Changing Mates.
GREEN: In the wild, the Linnie is found in “normal green” aka the “wild type”. This is a strong (dominant) gene and it is recommended to use a green “series” bird in every pairing. That could be d green (dark green), or dd green (olive). Normal green being the best to use when outcrossing. As green is the wild type, it is also a dominant gene. See the post on Genetic Basics for descriptions of this if new to genetics.
TURQUOISE (par-blue) series mutations: (turq, d turq (cobalt) and dd turq (mauve) are recessive. This means each bird must carry the gene to get phenotypical (visual turq series) offspring. This can be inherited as a visual bird in the mutation, or as a split in both sexes. Turquoise is the ONLY split a hen can carry, as ino is sex linked (see below), green is dominant and would express. If you are unsure if your green series bird is split to turquoise, but you know the parentage, if either parent was visual turquoise series, your green bird is 100% split to turquoise. If one, or both parents are split to turquoise, your bird would be “chance split”. This can be determined by test breeding. If bred to a known split to turquoise bird, or a visual turquoise series and you get a visual turquoise series offspring, you know that unknown split bird was carrying the gene. Both parents must carry the gene (recessive) to get phenotypical (visual) offspring.
INO: comes in the greens series variation, Lutino as well as the turquoise series, Creamino (turquoise ino). Ino is sex linked and females can never be split to the gene. If a female carries ino, it expressed phenotypically (visually). Males can be visual, or split to ino. It is considered unethical to pair two red eyed (ino) birds together (blindness and other severe health problems can occur). Males split or visual ino paired to a dark eyed (normal, not ino) hen can produce visual ino daughters. To get male inos, you pair a split ino male to a visual ino hen and get ino offspring of either sex. DNA testing is required to sex. Creamino is recessive meaning each parent must give a turquoise gene along with ino.
Birds that are visual ino can hide dark factors. When using an ino in a pairing, it is important to know the parent mutations to determine if it is possible your ino carries two dark factors (dd) as these should not be paired to another dd (olive or mauve).
Inos can have weakened feather structure due to the reduction of melanin, and lack in size compared to their dark eyed counterparts.
GREYWING: this gene is sex-linked and incomplete dominant. Greywing is sometimes mistakenly referred to as “dilute” or “edged”. This gene reduces the barring in your bird. It is an unethical pairing to pair two gw birds together. Avoid gw x ino pairings unless already working with known gw-ino and know what you are doing. Seek a seasoned breeder with experience in this rare US mutation for help. Greywing damages the integrity of the feather structure and has been sourced as a genetic causation for the toe defect sometimes observed where a rear facing Toe Faces Forward. Avoid birds from a gw x gw pairing as a pet, or for breeding. In a proper pairing (using only 1 greywing in the pair) all gw offspring will be single factor (sf) which looks very different in a cock vs. hen. The sf gw males are sometimes mistaken for a regular barred bird (especially when evaluated from a photograph where bright sunlight or a flash is used for lighting) as the gw makes the black barring a more muted grey. A bird that appears to be a gw hen (very light gw) could also be a df gw male from an improper pairing. When in doubt, ask the breeder for photos of the parents and seek help in identifying with a mentor before purchase. In females it is hard to misidentify as they appear as double factor (df) even though they are sf. The hens will be very light, with almost no barring at all. Photos of all the mutations are found in the Identification thread.
Gw is sex-linked and therefore, thought should be put into what you wish to produce in your offspring when choosing pair mutations. A male sf greywing can produce female and male gw, as well as normal barred birds. Female greywing can only produce greywing males, or normal barred birds.
Linnies CANNOT be split for Greywing! If the bird carries the gw gene, it will express phenotypically. Keep in mind that the greywing mutation can “skew” or weaken the quality of the barring markings even in the normal barred offspring, so be sure to use sparingly, or not at all in birds planned for exhibition.
DARK FACTORS : dark factors are co-dominant. A bird cannot be split to a dark factor. If they have the gene, and can pass it (without a mate also carrying it, ie: dominant) they will visually show the dark factor in all mutations EXCEPT IN INO. Ino can carry a hidden dark factor, you cannot see it from the reduction in the melanin. You must know parentage in order to determine probability that your ino may carry a dark factor, or test breed it.
In the case of double dark factor birds "dd" - (olive, mauve, or inos that are hiding two dark factors), they will give EVERY CHICK one (1) dark factor. So as an example of a pairing: mauve x normal green split turquoise - they would only produce dark green (split to turq as one parent is visual turq series) and cobalt.
VIOLET: Violet inherits like a dark factor. Sometimes tricky to identify, violet in single factor is most readily identified in d turquoise (cobalt) birds. A clean chest, usually free of barring, as well as no green wash over the back of the bird are the easiest ways to identify them. Some birds (by selection) have very purple heads. This does not necessarily indicate violet, but is a trait that can be enhanced by selecting those birds for breeding. Linnies cannot be split for violet, but can hide the mutation if not seen on a d turquoise (cobalt) mutation in single factor. Non-visual violet offspring in mutations other than d turq can actually be violet, and could be paired thoughtfully to produce a higher percentage of d turq (cobalt) young that you can try to identify specimens to work with from. In double factor (df) you can more easily identify violet in non-cobalt young such as dd turq (mauve) which will appear almost entirely black.
If both parent birds had a green parent, it is generally considered safe in the US to pair two turquoise series birds when working in violet in order to produce a higher percentage of d turq (cobalt) birds to identify violet to work from. Be sure to outcross the next generation to a green bird in the pair. It is advisable to keep a line of birds free of violet as in Europe where violet is more prevalent, they have seen faulted coloring in the green birds from the violet.
Other Notes: Europe has mutations not seen in the USA, such as Misty. Greywing ino is more common there, although there are a few US breeders working with it. There is NO pied mutation in the Lineolated Parakeet as of 2020. Green series birds seen with a few random yellow feathers, or turquoise series birds with white feathers is the result of poor diet, disease, injury to the feather follicle, or advanced age. Birds that have both yellow and white feathers, or blue and green feathers are a result of a modification, or is a chimera. It is not an inherited mutation.
CONCLUSION: The Linnie was imported into the US in the 1990’s. Most were mutation stacked, poor quality individuals from Europe. Lack of participation in closed leg banding and record keeping has made for weak gene pools here in the US. In order to combat that, only purchase birds with pedigrees that are closed banded, and pair CONSERVATIVELY. We use a green in every pairing, even in our violet work. Avoid mutation stacking, and please share this information with other new breeders so that we can help get this fantastic little species on the right track. Remember, domestic breeding programs are where they pull birds from to repopulate the wild if numbers get threatened of extinction. Therefore, disease-free, normal green birds without splits are very much needed. Linnies are so hard to find, people that wish to have one rarely are picky on mutation. ALL COLORS ARE IN DEMAND! Pair to get healthy, large birds and select for temperament…. You will find as you become more well known, people will line up and pay a premium for your birds.
Never hesitate to ask questions about birds you are considering for purchase. We need more people breeding properly, education is that first step. Thank you for reading and sharing.
If you enjoy this Forum, or the Content found here helpful.... consider buying the author a coffee. Helps with website costs, and keeps motivation levels up for more late night work. Thank you
CLICK HERE to Buy Me A Coffee
© Eddie’s Aviary – reproduce only with permission please
PROPER IDENTIFICATION & PAIRING = BEST RESULTS
When considering breeding Linnies, learning how to identify mutations properly, understanding basic genetic inheritance (Click here for Genetic Basics), and Proper Pairing Protocols should be your first step. If you bought a breeding pair that turns out to not be a good pairing, fear not…. Linnies are easy to re-pair. Click here for the post on easily Changing Mates.
GREEN: In the wild, the Linnie is found in “normal green” aka the “wild type”. This is a strong (dominant) gene and it is recommended to use a green “series” bird in every pairing. That could be d green (dark green), or dd green (olive). Normal green being the best to use when outcrossing. As green is the wild type, it is also a dominant gene. See the post on Genetic Basics for descriptions of this if new to genetics.
TURQUOISE (par-blue) series mutations: (turq, d turq (cobalt) and dd turq (mauve) are recessive. This means each bird must carry the gene to get phenotypical (visual turq series) offspring. This can be inherited as a visual bird in the mutation, or as a split in both sexes. Turquoise is the ONLY split a hen can carry, as ino is sex linked (see below), green is dominant and would express. If you are unsure if your green series bird is split to turquoise, but you know the parentage, if either parent was visual turquoise series, your green bird is 100% split to turquoise. If one, or both parents are split to turquoise, your bird would be “chance split”. This can be determined by test breeding. If bred to a known split to turquoise bird, or a visual turquoise series and you get a visual turquoise series offspring, you know that unknown split bird was carrying the gene. Both parents must carry the gene (recessive) to get phenotypical (visual) offspring.
INO: comes in the greens series variation, Lutino as well as the turquoise series, Creamino (turquoise ino). Ino is sex linked and females can never be split to the gene. If a female carries ino, it expressed phenotypically (visually). Males can be visual, or split to ino. It is considered unethical to pair two red eyed (ino) birds together (blindness and other severe health problems can occur). Males split or visual ino paired to a dark eyed (normal, not ino) hen can produce visual ino daughters. To get male inos, you pair a split ino male to a visual ino hen and get ino offspring of either sex. DNA testing is required to sex. Creamino is recessive meaning each parent must give a turquoise gene along with ino.
Birds that are visual ino can hide dark factors. When using an ino in a pairing, it is important to know the parent mutations to determine if it is possible your ino carries two dark factors (dd) as these should not be paired to another dd (olive or mauve).
Inos can have weakened feather structure due to the reduction of melanin, and lack in size compared to their dark eyed counterparts.
GREYWING: this gene is sex-linked and incomplete dominant. Greywing is sometimes mistakenly referred to as “dilute” or “edged”. This gene reduces the barring in your bird. It is an unethical pairing to pair two gw birds together. Avoid gw x ino pairings unless already working with known gw-ino and know what you are doing. Seek a seasoned breeder with experience in this rare US mutation for help. Greywing damages the integrity of the feather structure and has been sourced as a genetic causation for the toe defect sometimes observed where a rear facing Toe Faces Forward. Avoid birds from a gw x gw pairing as a pet, or for breeding. In a proper pairing (using only 1 greywing in the pair) all gw offspring will be single factor (sf) which looks very different in a cock vs. hen. The sf gw males are sometimes mistaken for a regular barred bird (especially when evaluated from a photograph where bright sunlight or a flash is used for lighting) as the gw makes the black barring a more muted grey. A bird that appears to be a gw hen (very light gw) could also be a df gw male from an improper pairing. When in doubt, ask the breeder for photos of the parents and seek help in identifying with a mentor before purchase. In females it is hard to misidentify as they appear as double factor (df) even though they are sf. The hens will be very light, with almost no barring at all. Photos of all the mutations are found in the Identification thread.
Gw is sex-linked and therefore, thought should be put into what you wish to produce in your offspring when choosing pair mutations. A male sf greywing can produce female and male gw, as well as normal barred birds. Female greywing can only produce greywing males, or normal barred birds.
Linnies CANNOT be split for Greywing! If the bird carries the gw gene, it will express phenotypically. Keep in mind that the greywing mutation can “skew” or weaken the quality of the barring markings even in the normal barred offspring, so be sure to use sparingly, or not at all in birds planned for exhibition.
DARK FACTORS : dark factors are co-dominant. A bird cannot be split to a dark factor. If they have the gene, and can pass it (without a mate also carrying it, ie: dominant) they will visually show the dark factor in all mutations EXCEPT IN INO. Ino can carry a hidden dark factor, you cannot see it from the reduction in the melanin. You must know parentage in order to determine probability that your ino may carry a dark factor, or test breed it.
In the case of double dark factor birds "dd" - (olive, mauve, or inos that are hiding two dark factors), they will give EVERY CHICK one (1) dark factor. So as an example of a pairing: mauve x normal green split turquoise - they would only produce dark green (split to turq as one parent is visual turq series) and cobalt.
VIOLET: Violet inherits like a dark factor. Sometimes tricky to identify, violet in single factor is most readily identified in d turquoise (cobalt) birds. A clean chest, usually free of barring, as well as no green wash over the back of the bird are the easiest ways to identify them. Some birds (by selection) have very purple heads. This does not necessarily indicate violet, but is a trait that can be enhanced by selecting those birds for breeding. Linnies cannot be split for violet, but can hide the mutation if not seen on a d turquoise (cobalt) mutation in single factor. Non-visual violet offspring in mutations other than d turq can actually be violet, and could be paired thoughtfully to produce a higher percentage of d turq (cobalt) young that you can try to identify specimens to work with from. In double factor (df) you can more easily identify violet in non-cobalt young such as dd turq (mauve) which will appear almost entirely black.
If both parent birds had a green parent, it is generally considered safe in the US to pair two turquoise series birds when working in violet in order to produce a higher percentage of d turq (cobalt) birds to identify violet to work from. Be sure to outcross the next generation to a green bird in the pair. It is advisable to keep a line of birds free of violet as in Europe where violet is more prevalent, they have seen faulted coloring in the green birds from the violet.
Other Notes: Europe has mutations not seen in the USA, such as Misty. Greywing ino is more common there, although there are a few US breeders working with it. There is NO pied mutation in the Lineolated Parakeet as of 2020. Green series birds seen with a few random yellow feathers, or turquoise series birds with white feathers is the result of poor diet, disease, injury to the feather follicle, or advanced age. Birds that have both yellow and white feathers, or blue and green feathers are a result of a modification, or is a chimera. It is not an inherited mutation.
CONCLUSION: The Linnie was imported into the US in the 1990’s. Most were mutation stacked, poor quality individuals from Europe. Lack of participation in closed leg banding and record keeping has made for weak gene pools here in the US. In order to combat that, only purchase birds with pedigrees that are closed banded, and pair CONSERVATIVELY. We use a green in every pairing, even in our violet work. Avoid mutation stacking, and please share this information with other new breeders so that we can help get this fantastic little species on the right track. Remember, domestic breeding programs are where they pull birds from to repopulate the wild if numbers get threatened of extinction. Therefore, disease-free, normal green birds without splits are very much needed. Linnies are so hard to find, people that wish to have one rarely are picky on mutation. ALL COLORS ARE IN DEMAND! Pair to get healthy, large birds and select for temperament…. You will find as you become more well known, people will line up and pay a premium for your birds.
Never hesitate to ask questions about birds you are considering for purchase. We need more people breeding properly, education is that first step. Thank you for reading and sharing.
If you enjoy this Forum, or the Content found here helpful.... consider buying the author a coffee. Helps with website costs, and keeps motivation levels up for more late night work. Thank you
CLICK HERE to Buy Me A Coffee
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